Here’s an important thing to remember: after you come to faith in Jesus, your old self doesn’t automatically fade away.
If there’s one thing we all have in common, it’s that we all want to change for the better.
I don’t know many parents that say, “I really want to strive to be the worst parent,” or couples who say to one another, “Let’s allow our marriage to crumble.” And rarely – if ever – will you hear anyone say, “My resolution this year is to gain a lot of weight and eat as unhealthy as possible!”
A quick search on Google or Amazon reminds us that we spend billions of dollars a year trying to improve ourselves. There is something inside of each of us that longs to change for better.
But the fact of the matter is – we can’t make ourselves better.
Living as a follower of Jesus is essentially (and necessarily) supernatural living. What does supernatural mean? It’s simple. We believe there are powers are at work that exist and supercede natural powers.
We’re in the middle of a series on Romans 8. Through the first seven chapers, the Holy Spirit is rarely mentioned, but in this chapter he is mentioned 20 times. The first seven chapters have been setting us up for this life changing truth: You can’t live effectively for Jesus unless you live according to the Spirit.
Think of it like a glove. The glove cannot do anything by itself, but when my hand is in it, it can do many things. Spiritually speaking, we are gloves and it is the Holy Spirit in us who is the hand.
The key? We have to make room for the hand so that every finger is filled.
14 For those who are led by the Spirit of God are the children of God. – Romans 8:14